TEEEIEBS.] 



THE DOG, AND ITS VAEIETIES; 



[tereiebs. 



In this occupation, however servile, he had 

 certainly a chance of coming in for a share of 

 the " good things" of this world ; and if his 

 master were not of the barbarous school, the 

 turnspit of old may have passed his time toler- 

 ably comfortable. The appliances of modern 

 art have long ago abolished his employment. 

 His occupation, like that of Othello's, has 

 vanished, and he himself is fast passing from 

 the face of the earth, and will, no doubt, 

 ere long become extinct. 



THE HARLEQUIN TERRIER. 



This beautiful little article is, in form, the 

 perfect model of the English terrier. He is of 

 a slate colour, like the Skye, with a little tan 

 about the legs and muzzle. This, though not 

 always, is frequently the case, and he possesses 

 all the higher attributes of his species in the 

 most marked degree. Why he has been called 

 after that extremely active gentleman, who, in 

 a parti-coloured dress of very tight fit and 

 variety of hue, figures on the stage in a Christ- 

 mas pantomime, we are not quite certain. 

 Perhaps it has arisen from the various patches 

 with which he himself is sometimes marked, 

 and which, in the opinion of many, greatly 

 add to his beauty. The origin of this little 

 dog has not been satisfactorily traced, but he 

 is now a recognised variety. 



"In former times," says Mr. Eichardson, to 

 whom we have already been so much indebted, 

 " a brace of terriers used to accompany every 

 pack of foxhounds, for the sake of unkennel- 

 ling reynard, in the event of his taking to 

 earth. This attendance has long been discon- 

 tinued, as being no longer necessary, the fox 

 being now run into too rapidly to admit of his 

 giving the gallant terriers this trouble. Some 

 recent writers do not appear aware of this cir- 

 cumstance, but gravely furnish us with long 

 extracts from Daniel, &c., relative to this now 

 obsolete practice." 



THE RUSSIAN TERRIER. 

 This is a fine large specimen of his kind, 

 and is in great demand in Scotland, on account 

 of the valuable qualities of which he is found 

 to be possessed, lie will take the water like 

 a spaniel, will tackle a wolf, and has all the 

 vigilance of the most active and most keen 

 of the Scotch breed. He stands high, beinc' 

 402 "" 



upwards of two feet at the shoulder; and, 

 although he might, by some, be supposed to be 

 a mastiff from his form, he does not belong to 

 that breed, although he bears, in some points, 

 a striking resemblance to it. He stands 

 straight and well up ; looks formidable, and 

 presents a front of great courage. 



The colour is usually black and tan ; but 

 many are of a sort of rufus, or reddish-brown. 

 About twenty years ago two of these dogs were 

 to be seen in the Scottish metropolis, equal in 

 size to many a mastifi". In Germany they are 

 known by the name of " bear-searchers." 



THE SOUTH AMERICAN TERRIER 

 Bears a strong resemblance to the Russian, 

 and is remarkable for its power of destroying 

 reptiles — escaping the bite of the serpent with 

 a certainty which surprises, when we consider 

 the power of that reptile tc? twist, turn, or coil 

 itself in almost every direction, and round 

 anything of ordinary dimensions. Its spring 

 is so rapid and sure, that it will seize the ser- 

 pent by the back in an instant, and imme- 

 diately crush its vertebrae to fragments. It is 

 rarely to be seen in this country ; but we 

 have noticed it as belonging to the terrier 

 species. 



THE MEXICAN PRAIRIE DOG 

 Is amongst the most diminutive of the canine 

 family. It is said to burrow in its native 

 prairies in the manner that rabbits do in this 

 country. Of this, however, we are not aware 

 of any well-authenticated fact, although we 

 remember having read, in the book of some ob- 

 scure Mexican traveller, that such was the case. 

 As he is not likely ever to become acclimatised 

 in this, or be of much use in his own country, 

 it is of little consequence to the general world 

 what may be the nature of his habits ; although, 

 to the professed naturalist, as well as to those 

 who are curious in matters of natural history, 

 no doubt, a complete knowledge of these would 

 be highly interesting. 



THE MALTESE TERRIER. 



The Maltese islands lie about forty-five miles 

 from tlie southern shore of Sicily, and 150 to 

 the east of the African coast, in the neiglibour- 

 hood of Cape Bonn. They are nearly due north 

 from Tripoli, on the coast of Africa, and are 



